1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a garment display rack adapted for supporting and displaying a garment to display the garment for merchandising and more particularly to a pair of frame members formed by a plurality of pivotally connected elongated members forming inner and outer seam supports which are resiliently connected and adapted for independent pivotal movement to preselected angular positions along the length of the display rack to display the garment in an imaginative position for merchandising.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known in the retail clothing business to display garments in show windows and stores in a manner that attractively and imaginatively displays the garment to promote sales of the garment. It has been the conventional practice for many years to display garments on mannequins. However, this form of displaying garments does not lend itself to generating an eye catching appeal. Mannequins in most cases are cumbersome and difficult to handle and rigid in construction so as not to permit imaginative displays that impart an action-type effect to the garment display.
Similar to mannequins, it is known to display garments on forms which are constructed to duplicate the outline of a human figure or parts of the human anatomy. U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,978 discloses an adjustable garment form that consists of wire mesh in an arrangement that duplicates the lower part of the human torso and the legs in an outline. The form is initially shaped on the wearer so that is deformed to the outline of the wearer. The mesh construction retains the shape of the wire mesh after it has been deformed. This device is more adapted to the construction and designing of garments as opposed to the display of garments for retail sales.
A flexible garment form is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 716,199. This device includes a flexible arrangement of a plurality of loops which are arranged in the outline of a sleeve. The form is employed for holding a sleeve in a preselected shape while making and trimming the material out of which the sleeve is constructed.
It is also well known in the art to support garments such as trousers and slacks on frames to stretch the garments to remove wrinkles and maintain well defined creases in the garment. An early example of a garment creaser or stretcher is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 144,703 in which a frame is constructed of non-pivotal vertically adjustable elongated members for stretching a garment to remove bagging at the knees and wrinkles and other parts caused by wear.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,569,792; 2,034,130; and 2,437,437 disclose pants presses or creases that are inserted in a leg of a pair of trousers to enhance the trouser crease. Each leg of the trouser receives a separate creaser that is formed by rigid elongated members that are spread apart by spring devices and the like a preselected distance apart so that when the trouser leg is positioned on the creaser the leg is stretched under tension to maintain the crease in the leg. These devices are adjustable to adapt to trousers of different sizes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,569,792; 2,437,437 disclose the elongated creaser elements as being pivotal to permit collapse of the creaser for storage. However, the above devices are not suitable for displaying garments for sale because the devices do not permit the garments to be displayed in eye-catching and imaginative arrangements.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,412,900; 2,418,083; 3,113,707; and 4,066,192 are directed to trouser display forms that support a pair of trousers or slacks in a position that simulates their position when worn by a user. The forms are positioned in show windows and stores and support the garment so that the garments hang naturally and thereby presents an attractive display for merchandising the garment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,707 discloses a pair of leg elements that are supported by a frame in suspended condition. Each leg is composed of a pair of flat leg sections shaped in the outline of a human leg and having knee and thigh joints to permit bending of the display form so that the display form can be moved into a sitting position.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,412,900 and 2,418,083 disclose garment display forms that include an adjustable portion for supporting the waist of the garment and rigid elongated members that extend from the waist portion down to a stand to support the elongated members in a rigid vertical position. Suitable telescoping and resilient devices are provided to permit adjustments in the distance between the vertical elongated members to accommodate trousers of different size. The elongated members are also vertically adjustable.
The display form disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,192 supports the legs of the trousers on hangers in an arrangement that enhances the crease of the trousers by maintaining the trouser legs under tension. The leg simulating members of the form are pivotally mounted on a base to permit the trouser legs to be positioned in different angular relations and thereby provide a variety of eye-catching positions for displaying the trousers on the form.
While it has been suggested by the prior art devices to support garments, such as trousers and slacks on a form for either displaying the garment for merchandising purposes or holding the trouser crease, none of the devices permit a pair of trousers or slacks to be displayed with the legs in a bent or action-type position. With the above discussed known devices the legs are maintained substantially rigid and the frames do not accommodate the displaying of trousers in an eye-catching action position which attracts attention to the trousers while simulating the trousers as they would appear when actually worn. The known devices also are limited to supporting the trousers and slacks in a position defining the creases. In this position of displaying trousers it is not possible to provide a full frontal view of the trousers.
In addition, the known devices are limited in the manner in which they are supported. Supporting a pair of trousers or slacks on a rigid stand that must be positioned on the floor does not permit variation in which one or more arrangements of trousers may be attractively displayed to generate an eye catching visual effect. Therefore, there is need for a garment display rack that supports garments, such as trousers, slacks, jeans and the like in an imaginative arrangement that permits the garment to be positioned in various angular positions along the length of the garment. The rack should be operable to be supported in other than a vertical upstanding position to achieve maximum eye catching affects that provide the merchandiser with wide flexibility in the manner in which the display rack can be arranged to display the garment.